Program
Education K-12 M.A.
Number of Pages
73
Year Approved
2021
First Advisor
Elliott, Nathan
Second Reader
Lisa Silmser;
Abstract
Mindfulness, or the act of paying attention on purpose without judgment, has received significant attention for its role in stress reduction. As stress levels are closely tied to academic outcomes for students it is logical to presume a connection between mindfulness and academic attainment. With the percentage of students experiencing stress and anxiety continuing to climb, mindfulness interventions within classrooms and schools could serve as a method for combating this increased prevalence while influencing the achievement of students. A review of the current literature indicates a positive association between mindfulness and academic performance for students. The observed impact appears to be both direct and mediated through increases in other factors including improvements in executive function, working memory capacity, self-efficacy, and resilience along with decreases in the stress and anxiety experienced by students. Research has also provided support for a neurological mechanism through which mindfulness practices produce changes in amygdala activity even when not actively in a mindfulness state. These results are significant in that they indicate that interventions provided in schools to increase the overall mindfulness of students result in improved academic outcomes for students.
Degree Name
Education K-12 M.A.
Document Type
Masterʼs thesis
Recommended Citation
Bailey, A. L. (2021). Taking a Moment for Mindfulness: a Review on the Efficacy of Mindfulness Interventions on Student Academic Attainment [Masterʼs thesis, Bethel University]. Spark Repository. https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/761